Release data: René Splinter – Transit Realities CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 1992-2010 “Transit Realities” offers 10 tracks of sequencer-based melodic music dealing with journeys through both the real world and the virtual equivalent. Recorded in 1992 and 1993, the music ended up being shelved without being released, but fortunately was re-discovered by the Dutch composer in recent years and reworked…
Release data: Sverre Knut Johansen – Distant Shore CD, Origo Sound, 1994 As far as I know, “Distant Shore” is the debut album by the Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Sverre Knut Johansen, who proves he’s also one hell of a composer in about 70 minutes. The ten minute title track, assembling rhythms and both symphonic and intimate passages, is already a great…
Release data: [‘ramp] Steel and Steam CD, Doombient Music, 2011 Again based on and inspired by collaborations with other musicians, “Steel and Steam” sees Stephen Parsick expertly pursue the quest of [‘ramp] through the vast landscapes of energetic vintage electronics, although now all on his own. The ten tracks on this album are all centered around “bulldozer” sequencer patterns and…
Release data: Schönwälder & Rothe – Filter-Kaffee 101 CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, SynGate, 2011 “Filter-Kaffee 101” is the first collaborative project by Mario Schönwälder & Frank Rothe, who composed the music for this album between 2007 and 2011. The 66-minute outcome, presented as eight different “cups”, is melodic and rhythmic sequencer music featuring lots of vintage sound textures and warm solos hovering…
Release data: Ken Elkinson – Music for Commuting Volumes 1 – 6 CD, August Son Productions, 2011 Now here’s a peculiar release of a Los Angeles-based musician who decided to try his efforts in the ambient music genre after he had previously composed and released nine albums of solo piano music. Ken Elkinson’s “Music for Commuting” is a triple cd-box…
Release data: Hashtronaut – Bottle Universe CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Flightlog Restricted Recordings, 2006 “Bottle Universe” is the second album of by Michael Daniel, who goes by the name of Hashtronaut. Well, this guy knows what he’s doing as his attractive Berlin School inspired space music contains some catchy solo’s and sequencing which strongly resemble those of Klaus Schulze. Although the cover…
Release data: Frederick Rousseau – Abyss CD, Origins, 1997 After two concept albums about woods, the French composer Frédérick Frederick Rousseau now turns to the mysteries and isolation of the ocean deeps. Regarding the content of “Abyss”, Rousseau refers to it being “no music”, an experience realised with neurologists specialised in music therapy. The cd contains four long uninterrupted tracks,…
Release data: Leonardo Rosado – Opaque Glitter CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, FeedbackLoop, 2011 With “Opaque Glitter”, derived from approximately 1h30 of source music, experimental artist Leonardo Rosado has created a textural drone album with an assortment of lost and found sounds. Beside the organic and slightly harsh edge, this imaginary music with a touch of melody reminds of Pascal Savy in abstract…
Release data: Astropilot – Solar Walk CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Altar Records, 2010 AstroPilot is the artist name of the Russian composer Dmitry V. Red’ko. Over the last few years, his music mainly appeared as single tracks on various down-tempo/chill-out compilations, most recently on the last part of Ultimae’s Fahrenheit Project. The 69-minute “Solar Walk” is his second full-length release, which has…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Lost Links DIGITAL DOWNLOAD/CD-R, Relaxed Machinery, 2011 For “Lost Links”, the first volume in a series, Max Corbacho assembled a collection of tracks which were shelved in his archive although they were initially composed to fit on a concept album, compilation or into a commisioned project. Known for his well-crafted and expansive/atmospheric music, Mr Corbacho…
Release data: Various Artists – Fahrenheit Project Part Seven CD, Ultimae Records, 2011 The French Ultimae-label brings the Fahrenheit Project Collection to an end with the 76-minute “Fahrenheit Project part seven”, offering a last bunch of fresh, contemporary and progressive downtempo electronica in Ultimae realm. The featured artists are Asura, Solar Fields, Scann-Tec, Field Rotation, Maurizio Piazza and Hol Baumann…
Release data: Redshift – Colder CD, Distant Sun Production, 2011 “Colder” comprises six energetic and exciting tracks of all-new music by Redshift (Mark and Julian Shreeve assisted by the trusted Ian Boddy) which the trio confidently executed live at the Hampshire Jam 9 festival. The massive sound and evocative sequencer patterns of Mark’s grand modular is spot on oncemore, with…
Release data: Robert Carty – Photonic Movements DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 All EM-fans out there looking for a nice addition to their ambient space music collection, make sure to check out Robert Carty’s offering “Photonic Movements”. Kicking off with the 32-minute ultimate drift “Shimmering”, this 60-minute album features three long sonic excursions of gentle and smooth space music airing…
Release data: Hashtronaut – The Lambda Variant CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Flightlog Restricted Recordings, 2006 Hashtronaut is the artist name of UK-based synthesist/guitarist Michael Daniel. His fifth album “The Lambda Variant” comprises two lengthy pieces of 26 and 24 minutes each, both heavily influenced by the Berliner School style of Klaus Schulze. The title track starts out smoothly with bell tones and…
Release data: Bas B. Broekhuis – The Escher Drawings CD, Synteam/Groove Unlimited, 1991/2004 Bas Broekhuis belongs to the Eindhovense School of electronic musicians such as Ron Boots, Eric van der Heijden, Niko Olofsen and Ad van Gerven. Together with Ron Boots he founded the Synteam label in 1990, and also joined the KLEM-subdivision KLONE that pushed him to release his…
Release data: Memory Geist – Benthos DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2011 DiN’s ninth download-only album “Benthos”, which took about four years to complete, is the second release by Memory Geist, a collaborative project of Steve Law (of Zen Paradox, Starseed Transmission & Black Cab) and Bakis Sirros (of Parallel Worlds & Interconnected). Compared to their debut album “Funeral Cavern”, the music…
Release data: Norman Rose – Space Trails CD-R, Touch the Light, 2002 The album “Space Trails” by California-based synthesist Norman Rose belongs to the list of authentic electronic space music, combining warm and inviting sounds with a sense of melodrama and a few symphonic hints. The 12 cosmic tone poems on the album all evoke this dreamy but also romantic…
Release data: Rising Star – Cosmic WorksRising Star – Cosmic Works CD-R, Private Release, 2001 From the backcover of this cd I learned “Cosmic Works” is a live-in-concert recording made in Chico, CA, USA on 01-27-2001. Marc Handschuh, aka Rising Star, presents us a continuous evolving soundscape blanket of spacious textural sounds, divided in seven pieces. Well, this is pretty…
Release data: David Parsons – Dorje Ling CD, Fortuna records, 1992 The sonic fabric on Mr Parsons “Dorje Ling” continues very nicely in the realm of mystic Tibet and the Indian culture. The release was inspired by David Parsons subsequent return to Dharamsala, India, known as the home of Tibetan Buddhism in exile. It later on charged Mr Parsons to…
Release data: Tim Blake – Blake’s New Jerusalem CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Egg/Mantra Records, 1978/1992 Synthesist Tim Blake (of Hawkwind, Crystal Machine and Gong fame) is one of those “dinosaurs” responsible for some classic electronic music made at the end of the ‘70’s. From the futuristic cover of “Blake’s New Jerusalem” one could easily derive this is a kind of soundtrack for…
Release data: Steve Rose – The Diminishing Day CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 The completion of the dreamy ambient release “The Diminishing Day”, very nicely mastered by the capable Robert Rich, took Steve (Austin) Rose over two years. The outcome, realized by synths and e-guitars, still realms in smooth soundscape territory, but on the go appears to be leaning a…
Release data: Brain Laughter – In the Land of Power CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1989 The focus of the Brain Laughter-project, started by label owner Howard Givens, was to create a “grand collaboration” of artists from the Spotted Peccary label with the intent on exploring musical impressions of the Sonoran Desert in the Southwest region of North America. Setting the…
Release data: Patrick O’Hearn – Rivers Gonna Rise CD, Private Music, 1988 On his third album “Rivers gonna rise”, Mr O’Hearn implements a good portion of frettless bass to his fine alchemy of electronic sounds. The sound of the ten tracks is upbeat, bright and airs a beautiful sense of hope. Contrary to his previous two releases, the music on…
Release data: René van der Wouden – Panorama CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, REWO Records, 2011 It is my impression Dutch synthesist René van der Wouden has evolved to a skilled painter of sonic landscapes on the 77-minute “Panorama”. The recording, of which the four tracks were composed between September 2008 and November 2010, sets off with the almost 32-minute “Underwater Sideviews”. This…
Release data: David Parsons – Yatra CD, Fortuna records, 1990 The double album “Yatra” is due to Mr Parsons’ ongoing passion for India and his personal interest in the physics of sound creation, which he was able to transform into ethno-space music. The outcome mirror’s David’s inner journey and experiences while he travelled through India, meeting its people and breathing…
Release data: David Parsons – Tibetan Plateau + Sounds of the Mothership CD, Fortuna records, 1980/1982 This 74-minute cd release from 1991 comprises the music from the cassette releases “Tibetan Plateau” and “Sounds of the Mothership” (only the 27-minute track “Voyage from the Mothership” from the “Tibetan Plateau” mc was left out due to time constraints). Both recordings are what…
Release data: Patrick O’Hearn – Indigo CD, Private Music, 1991 After Patrick O’Hearn turned up a different musical alley on his previous album “Eldorado”, his fifth album “Indigo” wanders into darker and mysterious flavoured but most fascinating spaces. At times, its music is almost soundtrack-like (especially the beautiful opening track “Devil’s Lake”), as the whole album continues in the typical…
Release data: David Parsons – Himalaya CD, Fortuna records, 1989 The ethno-electronic music on “Himalaya” reflects the beauty and impact of Indian and Tibetan culture music. As the previous albums, it was inspired by David’s ongoing contact and extensive stays with Tibetan Monks living in exile in Northern India. It also allowed David to make recordings of their mystic chants…
Release data: Various Artists – Electronic Music For Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2011 Due to the devastating earthquake, followed by a tsumani and a nuclear disaster that hit Japan in March 2011, the seed was planted to produce a special compilation cd of which all benefits are donated to the German Red Cross for help to all the victims.…
Release data: Glyn Lloyd-Jones – Chaotic Attraction DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 Mr Lloyd Jones is able to surprise me with every new album he comes up with, and “Chaotic Attraction” is no exception to that. Beside the modern classical feel to the music on this newbie, Glyn remains a master of combining melodic lines with infectious sequenced patterns, creating…
Release data: Kevin Braheny – The Way Home CD, Hearts of Space Records, 1978/1984 “The Way Home” was one of the first releases on the Hearts of Space records. The first draft of this classic space album (originally called “Perelandra”, as it was named after the C.S. Lewis science fiction novel of the same name) was recorded in early 1978.…
Release data: Mychael Danna – Sirens CD, Hearts of Space Records, 1991 The debut album “Sirens”, initially only released as cassette, offers a 46-minute collection of minimal orchestral/symphonic electronics by Canadian Mychael Danna, who later on established himself as a successful soundtrack composer. It’s also a concept album dealing with the femine psyche, taking the listener into worlds beyond the…
Release data: Neuronium – Chromium Echoes CD, Tuxedo Music/Private release, 1982 For me, “Chromium Echoes” is a classic album of Spanish synthesist Michel Huygen, aka Neuronium, who got some great assistance of Carlos Guirao. The sound of this album is warm and profound analogue. The release offers three moody compositions displaying the beautiful sounds and impact of vintage gear by…
Release data: John Broaddus – Afield DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Parnassusnump Records, 2011 After seven years of silence, US ambient composer John Broaddus brings us “Afield”, which offers an adventurous journey into sound processing within the concept of minimal ambient. The seeds for this recording are found in various field recordings made in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Paris, which Mr Broaddus…
Release data: Szymon Kaliski – For Isolated Recollections CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hibernate records, 2011 When you talk about less is more in ambient music, it’s worth having a listen to the Ep “For Isolated Recollections” by young composer Szymon Kalisk, who lives in a small town near Poznań, Poland. The four pieces on the 20-minute release are all assembled from simple…
Release data: Steve Roach – Journey of One (The Tribal Ambient Era, Live 1996) CD, Projekt, 2011 As many Steve Roach fans will know, the start of the 1990’s marked an uprise of profound tribal-ambient electronic music, a genre Steve already explored on releases such as “Early man”, “World’s Edge”, “Origins” and the stunning “Dreamtime Return”. It was a period…
Release data: Danna & Clément – The Best of Danna & Clément CD-R, Earthaven/Mirage, 2005 This is a 70-minute compilation album by the Canadian duo Danna & Clément who made several ambient releases together which all have been unavailable for a long time. “The Best of Danna & Clément” is a special edition release including a limited edition full-colour eight-page…
Release data: Tim Story – Beguiled CD, Hearts of Space, 1991 Those who love melancholic instrumental and somewhat eccentric music are at the right spot with the contemporary ambient music of Tim Story. On “Beguiled”, Martha Reikow joins Mr Story on cello, while Tim himself plays synths, sampling instruments, treatments, piano, and e-guitar. Tim about the recording: “Despite its simplicity,…
Release data: The Black Dog – Radio Scarecrow CD, Soma Recordings Limited, 2008 The Black Dog is a techno-ambient project from the UK consisting of Ken Downie and the brothers Martin and Richard Dust. The output of “Radio Scarecrow”, mixed as one continuous sequence, fits nicely in the framework of intelligent, refined and detailed IDM-electronica with subtle elements and twists,…
Release data: Mychael Danna – Skys CD, Hearts of Space, 1992 “Skys” is a concept album by Mychael Danna, inspired by the big cold Canadian skyscapes through the year. The rich electro-acoustic music, by Mr Danna describes as orchestral romantic-minimalism, offers ten cinematic, airy themes encapsulating the grandeur and beauty of these massive skypaintings. These aural imaginations are beautifully rendered…
Release data: Steve Roach – Live at SoundQuest Fest CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timeroom Editions, 2011 This album documents the first 74 minutes of the concert Steve Roach and friends performed at the first SoundQuest music festival held on October 23, 2010. Album opener is the strong 28-minute “Momentum of Desire”, a pure electronic undertaking with a profound high-tech rim which makes…
Release data: Johannes Schmoelling – The Zoo of Tranquillity CD, Viktoriapark Records, 1988/2010 Until today, I always had quite some trouble enjoying Johannes second album “The Zoom of Tranquility”. The version reviewed here is the original 1988-tapes remastered of the original 2-track tapes which appeared on lp in 1988. This cd doesn’t contain the two bonus tracks of the 1998…
Release data: Przemysław Rudź – Cerulean Legacy CD, Generator.pl, 2011 After finishing his previous trilogy, Polish synthesist Przemysław Rudź brings us a new concept album of progressive electronics, in which the technology theme remains a core element. At first the music didn’t really touch me nor seemed it that cohesive, but this changed after I had several closer listens to…
Release data: Rasalhague – Rage inside the Window CD, Malignant Records, 2011 The musician behind the dark/experimental ambient project Rasalhague is one Kerry Braud, hailing from Indiana. The concept album “Rage inside the Window” (inspired by a true criminal event of a young child neglected by her own mother, being imprisoned in filth and squalor) offers terrifying, industrial and harsh…
Release data: Somnarium – Frost DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 With the album “Frost”, composer Michael Meara brings us another fine release of smooth ambient sonics, this time inspired by profound cold weather conditions. The five expansive vistas offer subtle, gentle, orchestral and symphonic renditions with some piano, overall breathing the fresh atmospherics and the remoteness of cold plains and…
Release data: Barbelo & Jorge Reyes – Ethnoaural CD, Barbelo Music, 2008 Barbelo is the Mexican, Monterrrey-based duo Rodolfo Garza (aka Arkha Nous) and Daniel Trevino (aka Xak) who have joined forces with Jorge Reyes (who sadly passed away in February 2009) for this album. “Ethnoaural” features 44 minutes of ethnic flavoured electro-acoustic ambient compositions in which Reyes distinct fingerprints…
Release data: Marsen Jules – Nostalgia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Oktaf, 2011 Marsen Jules is a project by the German musician Martin Juhls, who is composing music since 2005. Presented as the “long awaited continuation of his classic “Herbstlaub”, the overall flavour of “Nostalgia” made me think of the releases on the Palace of Light label: although musically different, it evokes a…
Release data: Ishq – Skyspaces CD, Virtual Light, 2011 “Skyspaces” is the first album on Virtual Light, a new series adapted by Ishq (aka Matt Hillier), of which all releases will have an emphasis on space, light and minimalism rather than the more complex and detailed soundscape style feautured on the Virtual World series. As Matt further explains, the ambient…
Release data: Ian Boddy & Parallel Worlds – Exit Strategy CD, DiN, 2011 The Ian Boddy and Bakis Sirros album “Exit Strategy” (the 37th physical DiN-release, limited to 600 copies) is a profound energetic and analogue affair with a strong organic edge. From the press release I learned Mr Sirror planted the seed for the project by delivering a series…
Release data: Steve Roach & Erik Wøllo – The Road Eternal CD, Projekt, 2011 “The Road Eternal” is the second collaborative album by Steve Roach and Erik Wøllo, following up their 2009-release “Stream of Thought”. The framework and fundament of the albums music was layed down by the two composers in the days following directly after the Steve’s first SoundQuest…
Release data: Noryani – Northeast 117 CD, Generator.pl, 2011 (Adrian) Noryani is a new name introduced by the Polish Generator-label that again proves to have a good eye for fine, and above all fresh sounding contemporary electronic music. Noryani’s debut release “Northeast 117” is a tasty and attractive one, displaying a fine assortment of lush, spatial sequences, versatile percussion, powerful…
Release data: Robert Beau Michaels – Radio Cosmos – Music From Out of This World DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 Prague-based musician Robert Beau Michaels has always been fascinated by the mystery and beauty of the universe, and especially by stunning Hubble telescope images. For long, these kinds of images have fed his creative imagination, while evoking a tremendous feeling…
Release data: Kubusschnitt – Entropy’s Evolution CD, Private Release, 2010 After a long hiatus of about eight years or so, Ruud Heij and Tom Coppens have decided to revive the Kubusschnitt-project oncemore. For “Entropy’s Evolution” they invited synthesist Gert Emmens and guitarist Jan Dieterich to join them on the fourth musical journey. There always has been an inventive, progressive and…
Release data: The Black Dog – Music for Real Airports CD, Soma Recordings Limited, 2010 The title of this release immediately makes you think of the fine “Ambient #1” album Brian Eno once made. This is something really different though, as the band described the album “a contemporary reply to Brian Eno’s work from the 70s”. The UK trio Ken…
Release data: Kerry Leimer – Degraded Certainties CD, Palace of Lights, 2010 “Degraded Certainties”, Kerry Leimer’s ninth album, uses reprocessing as the core technique in determining the music’s timbre and form. Mr Leimer continues his ongoing efforts to experiment in generating variety from a limited set of sonic elements, a complex proces in which he extensively manipulated, twisted, edited and…
Release data: Gert Emmens – Metamorphosis CD, Groove Unlimited, 2010 Marking his tenth release on the established Dutch Groove Unlimited label, Gert Emmens decided to stick to the use of old vintage gear without MIDI for the 73-minute “Metamorphosis”. For those interested, Gert included a complete list of gear used on each of the six tasty tracks. As usual the…
Release data: Remy – I-dentity CD, Deserted Island Music, 2011 I personally find it interesting Remy Stroomer has chosen the titel “I-dentity” for his latest release, as I always found that this musician created his own realm of identity and originality over the years on his recordings. Tracks 1-3 of “I-dentity” have been recorded at Remy Stroomer’s concert at the…
Release data: Eric G – Conclusion CD, Elmuced Records, 2001 Many musicians have been influenced by the classic electronic music of the Berlin school. The music contained on Eric G’s “Conclusion” features compositions made between 1978 and 1999, and shows its own reflection and inspiration derived from the mid-’70’s output by the likes such as Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze next…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Arctisonia CD, Air Space Records, 2011 Mr Koepper describes the outcome of his sixth privately released album “Arctisonia” as “loaded with analog synthesizer music- textural-sequencer driven-atmospheric”, which according to the album sleeve is inspired by The Arctic. The sounds on the album are diverse, warm and very rich, and the seven lengthy tracks are cinematic…
Release data: Free System Projekt & Gert Emmens – Legacy CD, Private Release, 2011 The factory-pressed cd “Legacy” comprises three concert recordings made at two different locations. The almost 50-minute “Heritage”, recorded at The Ricochet Gathering in October 2010, kicks things off in the engaging and full retro-mode as we know so well from Free System Project. The music is…